


The Three Bs

by Trhooligan7302



Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M, Post Season 17 Episode 11
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:41:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22224277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trhooligan7302/pseuds/Trhooligan7302
Summary: Gibbs and Jack wind down following Season 17 Episode 11 "In the Wind".
Relationships: Jethro Gibbs/Jacqueline "Jack" Sloane
Comments: 4
Kudos: 82





	The Three Bs

**Author's Note:**

> Just can't get enough of these two. Always need more Slibbs fics amongst all the Tiva fics.

Gibbs chuckled to himself as the elevator doors came to a close. Ziva, breaking the tension of a goodbye, had given him one of her cheesy winks. Wow, he was going to miss her. As he turned his attention to the bullpen he watched his team packing up. It had been a long couple of days, especially the last 24 hours, everyone had worked so hard to help he and Ziva find Sahar. Not to mention the frantic search for Phineas.  
As Gibbs made his way to his desk he let his team know that they should take a couple of days, he would see them all back in two days time. Everyone running on empty acknowledged him with a “thanks boss” and made their way to the elevator. This left Gibbs and his thoughts sitting at his desk. At some point he would have to really thank all of them for stepping it up and helping him find Phin. Shaking his head he thought about kicking the trash at some of them, wow what a grumpy ass mood he had been in for the last 24 hours. Maybe steaks next weekend he thought to himself with a smile.  
The bullpen was now quiet, too quiet considering the chaos of the past 24 hours. As he cleared his desk he could sense her presence. Ever close and quietly observing, Jack was in her normal spot, leaning over the railing upstairs. They made eye contact and she started toward him. As she reached his desk a quiet smile came to rest on her mouth “Cowboy you look exhausted.”  
He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding, sighing he said, “Yeah, I am but aren’t we all?”  
Jack nodded, “Grab your gear gunny. I know just what we need.”  
“Oh, come on Jack! Didn’t we just say how exhausted we both were?”  
He followed her to the elevator door, she had already pushed the button, the doors opened and they stepped inside. As soon as the doors close she leans into his shoulder,”Relax Gunny, we are in need of the three Bs.”  
“The three Bs?” he questioned.  
“Yup beer, burgers and a bed.”  
A smile slowly came over his face, he hates it when she’s right but he doesn’t even know the last time he stopped and thought about having something to eat or drink.  
They reach their cars in silence, she looked at him over her shoulder and said “Go home, take a shower and relax. I’m gonna go home, shower and I’ll be by with burgers and beer. Any other requests?”  
He quietly shook his head and silently wondered where she gets her energy.  
As Gibbs pulled into his driveway he looked through the rearview mirror at the lights on inside Phineas‘s house. He knew the three of them were staying there tonight while they gathered all Phin’s belongings. He also knew there were things of Phin’s upstairs but he just couldn’t deal with that tonight he would deal with that in the morning. They had planned to meet for breakfast at the diner before leaving town.  
Gibbs entered the house and quietly walked upstairs to take a much needed shower. The warm water was relaxing his body, giving way to the tension that he had been holding for the last couple of days. He got out of the shower and changed into some sweats and his Marine Corps sweatshirt. He figured it would still be a little bit before Jack would arrive with dinner. It made him think back to the other night when she had called him from his front doorstep. She had not been able to stay away knowing he and Phin would be upset. Why did he find this so annoying yet so comforting? If it had been anyone else he would have refused to let them come to the house. He just couldn’t deny her, these were thoughts for another day he told himself.  
As he reached the room that Phineas had been staying in he paused and looked around, he sure was going to miss that kid! Too exhausted to deal with that emotionally he closed the door and made his way downstairs.  
He spent a few minutes starting a fire and glanced at the couch. His pillow and blanket from last night were still there but knowing Jack she would not want to leave and would stay. Gibbs went to the linen closet and got another pillow and blanket, he put them on the other end of the L-shaped couch. It made him stop and think about what an amazing person she was. And how shitty he had been to her for several days now. Even after all that had transpired between them she was out there getting them dinner and drinks, still taking care of him despite his horrible mood. He really had gotten out of control, kicking a trash can at her, yelling at her in the truck and then in the elevator. Yet there she was at every pass over the last 24 hours checking on him making sure he was OK, all while trying to also help the team solve the case. He caught himself speaking out loud, “I have no idea what I have done to deserve her in my life.”  
He closed his eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. A small chuckle rose to the top as he thought about her meeting him word punch for word punch in that elevator. Being the only one around him who would never back down from a fight with him. Granted she chose wisely, moments when she thought it really mattered, he respected her for that. Standing in that elevator trying to get him to breathe because she could see he was spiraling out of control and would never admit that to another person. She had managed to get him to breathe and then give her more information that she would use to help calm his nerves. The way she had talked him into letting her hug him, something he just didn’t do, much less when he was upset. He could still feel her arms around his shoulders, feel how easy it was for him to grab her and pull her close to him. How good it felt to bury his nose in her shoulder and hair. Now that he sat here, he felt like an asshole for at least not taking a little bit of time to let her hug him and hug her back. Instead he had been too driven on getting that elevator started again. Putting some distance between them because she had the ability like no one else to see his walls crumbling around him and try to make him deal with those emotions. He needs to make that right with her he could tell by the look on her face and her body language that he had upset her. He heard the key in the front door as she opened it and let her self in. Quietly he loved that they had become so comfortable with each other that they could invade each other space.  
He had to smile as she entered the living room. How did she look that good on virtually no sleep for two days? He secretly loved when she would show up at his house in leggings and an oversized sweatshirt with her hair in a ponytail and no make-up. It usually meant she had no intention of leaving until the next day. 

“Hey ya! I almost had to stop halfway here Gunny. These burgers smell so good, I am starving! When was the last time we ate?”  
Gibbs responded, “I don’t know...I’ve lost track of all time.” Gibbs made short work of distributing the burgers and fries between the two of them and popped the top on their beers. They sat and ate in comfortable silence. It wasn’t until they both had finished and sat back into the couch that he decided to ask her some questions. “Jack?”  
“Hmm?”  
“How did you find his foster parents so quickly?”  
“Well, after I left MTAC, I reached out to my contact at the adoption agency. She then in turn reached out within the adoption network and was able to locate Phineas‘s file. And don’t worry, I had her check through the paperwork and the visit summaries from before they had Phineas. She also checked through the same from when Phin was in their care. These are good people, Gibbs, they really do love him, take care of him and give him everything that they can. I must admit I was still a little nervous until I saw their faces and Phin’s face in the conference room. Now, I just feel really good about this, I know you’re going to miss him terribly but I think it’s the best place for him and he’s going to be happy.”  
“No, no...you’re absolutely right. This is the best thing for him to go back where he was happy. I’m afraid I’d be a constant reminder that he’s lost his mom. I will miss him though.”  
“You have been very good for him, Gibbs. And I meant what I said a few weeks ago. He has been very good for you too.”  
Listening to Jack made him realize how much he was going to miss Phin popping in and out of the house. He must have been holding his breath again because he suddenly gasped for air. Jack placed her hand in the middle of his chest and said, “Cowboy, just breathe.”  
Somewhere in his subconscious he could hear her asking him to take a deep breath and let it out but he had a sudden need to get up off the couch and put some distance between them. He picked up the trash from dinner and took it to the kitchen. He excused himself to the bathroom, he had to get it together. Why did he have this strong fight or flight feeling today around her? When all he really wanted was to be near her because she had been the calm in this crazy storm. She was just trying to help, she cared about him. Feeling bad for bolting he knew he needed to fix a few things from today. He owed her that much after all she had done to help him.  
When he came back from the bathroom she had brought the empty beer bottles into the kitchen and was leaning on the countertop deep in thought. Or was she falling asleep standing up? He wasn’t sure which. He approached her slowly as to not scare her. She senses his presence and turned to face him as he closed the space between them. Those soft brown eyes met his and the exhausted but genuine smile lit up her face.  
“You okay Cowboy?”  
“Yeah, just a lot to process”  
“I know, I’m sorry.” she whispered.  
“Nothing for you to apologize about Jack. It’s me who should be thanking you for everything you have done for me lately. Especially since I have been a total ass to you, when all you have been doing is trying to help.”  
She just looked at him with exhausted glassy eyes and he knew what he needed to do.  
“Hey,” he whispered softly, “Come here”.  
With that he stepped into her space and wrapped his arms around her, he closed any distance that remained between them into a full body hug. He felt her melt into him and relax into his embrace. God she felt good and smelled good, he took a few seconds to breathe her in. Her sweet smell bringing a sense of calm. He suddenly wondered why he had fought this earlier today when everything about it felt so right.  
“You had a lot on your plate.”  
“Doesn’t excuse it Jack...I’m sorry. Thank you.”  
“Welcome…”  
“I did hear you when you were talking about breathing and letting myself off the hook...I didn’t want to hear ya but I did.”  
“And have you?”  
“What?”  
“Let yourself off the hook?”  
“I don’t know Jack...I guess I should. Seein’ that he’s safe and he’s been reunited with people that love him.”  
Gibbs started to pull back so he could look into her eyes for a fraction of a second before he leaned forward and kissed her forehead.  
“Thanks for the good fight Jack.”  
“Always. You do the same for me.”  
“Time to get some sleep.”  
He quietly moved into the living room and took a few minutes to bring the fire back to life, turned off the lights and locked the door. When he came back into the living room he found that she had snuggled onto one section of the L-shaped couch with her head towards the L.  
He dropped to the couch and did the same resting his head next to hers. He could tell it wouldn’t take long for her to succumb to the exhaustion of the last few days.  
The house was so quiet, all he could hear was her lying there breathing. “Hey Jack? Did you get to meet see Ziva before she left?”  
“Yeah...I did, finally!”  
She looked up at him, their eyes meeting his.  
“We talked for a few minutes.”  
“About what?”  
“Well, she mentioned that you had great things to say about me…you been talking about me cowboy?”  
“Ha, ha maybe…”  
She smiled at him with a coy little look…  
“She also whispered in my ear...thank you for taking care of his heart.”  
As the realization of what that meant arrived in his exhaustion filled brain his eyes grew wide.  
“Oh Cowboy,'' she said with a small nervous laugh, “I told her that we take care of each other‘s.”  
With that her small hand reached up and found his large one interlocking their fingers. They continued to stare into each other’s eyes as he brought her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers. Her eyes grew heavier and fluttered closed. She was losing her battle with exhaustion. He watched her for a few more minutes not believing how lucky he has gotten to have her in his life. This beautiful human who has brought such light, joy, frustration, understanding and fear to him. He knows he needs her and who is he kidding? He wants her with him by his side every day in every way. This is where the fear is...that’s what scares him. His need for her and the emotions that it elicits are frightening. He couldn’t help but wonder how she felt about their elephant in the room. Someday soon he was going to need to Marine-up and talk with her about their pachyderm situation. Until then he would just find comfort in her by his side. He closed his eyes and let sleep take him as he gave one last kiss to their interlocked fingers.


End file.
